Melo Villareal
5 Must-Visit Spots In Angono For Artsy People
If we’re talking of art alone, there is no better place to go than Angono. This place is a haven for artists and famous people like Carlos “Botong” Francisco and Lucio D. San Pedro both hail from Angono. Even some of the streets here are lined with tasteful graffiti showing how creative people from Angono are.
These are 5 of the most visited Art places in Angono, Philippines.
Blanco Family Museum
Jose “Pitok” Blanco came from a family of fishermen in Laguna de Bay. He was born in March 19, 1932, and studied Art in UST. With his natural talent, he got a one-man show at the Manila Hilton in 1971.
He got popular through his murals depicting the life in Angono and The Rockefeller Foundation which is based in New York acquired his work, “Pag-ahon ng Pagoda” which is sort of a tribute to the water parade for San Clemente fiesta in the 70s.
Being a gifted artist, it won’t be a shock to know that all his seven children inherited his skills and they all added to the artworks on display in their family museum.
All of their works are centered mostly on each other which only shows that they really work together as a family. Their paintings are vibrant and their natural talent is apparent on each of their works.
Location: 312 Ibañez St., Angono Rizal
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun every morning- 11am and 1pm-5pm
Carlos “Botong” Francisco Museum
Carlos “Botong” Francisco is an admired muralist from Angono. His murals and historical pieces are what made him a national artist and he also belongs to the group of Filipino modernists who chose a different path rather than following into the footsteps of Fernando Amorsolo whose work focused on the romanticism of Philippine sceneries.
Francisco was the one who first discovered the Angono Petroglyphs. He reported the rock shelter to the National Museum during a field trip with boy scouts on the boundaries of Angono, Antipolo, and Binangonan.
Some of his popular works are Blood Compact, First Mass at Limasawa, The Martyrdom of Rizal, Magpupukot, Fiesta, Bayanihan sa Bukid, Sandugo, Portrait of Purita, The Invasion of Limahong, Serenade, and Muslim Betrothal. Due to time not being a friend, some of his beloved works have suffered damage and are in need of well-attended restoration.
The museum where most of his works are you will see the mural paintings, self-portraits, artworks that he wasn’t able to finish, magazines, his collection of National Geographic books, hats, walking sticks, the awards he received, shoes, and wartime relics and many more of his collections. There is also a gallery dedicated to his grandson’s masterpieces.
Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Art Gallery
In case you’re feeling hungry by this time and you’re looking for something exotic, Balaw-Balaw Restaurant will exactly take your palate to a weird dimension. For people who like to try something new and are not faint-hearted, try this restaurant because there are only a few of these in the country.
But Balaw-Balaw does not only boast of bizarre foods, they also have a vast display of art items; they have numerous bits and pieces that hang from the ceiling, an open space dining with plenty of sculptures and a manmade pond underneath.
The second floor has, even more, wooden sculptures and vernacular arts. Beautiful paintings can also be seen throughout the property.
In case you’re not into exotic food, Balaw-Balaw also has other offerings in their menu.
Location: 11 Dona Justa Village, Manila East Road, Angono, Rizal
Contact no: 651-0110
Nemiranda Art House and Museum
Nemesio “Nemi” R. Miranda Jr was born in February 14,1949. He is a well-known painter and sculptor from Angono, Rizal. He is also known by his nickname “Nemiranda”. He is a Fine Arts graduate from UST and he is the father of modern artist Keiye Miranda.
His inspirations include comic book illustrations by Francisco Coching and when he was 15, muralist, Carlos “Botong” Francisco.
He won first prize in Shankar’s International Competition in Painting in India. His works were showcased in his 50 solo exhibitions all around the world.
Angono Ateliers Association which he founded in 1975 and the Higantes Festival, which he was the promoter, proved that he loved his art so much.
He also built the Nemiranda Family Art Museum, Angono School for the Art, and Nemiranda Art Café. He was also the chairman of the Angono Tourism Council.
He designed the Nemiranda Art House where he used native materials like bamboo and sawali; he also utilized old materials from various churches and convents in Angono.
The majority of the artworks to be seen here are about Angono’s mystic legends and folklores, this includes; ”Ang Nuno”, “Habagat”, “The Mermaid of Angono”, “Amihan” and “Malakas at Maganda”.
Location: 10 Dona Elena St. Doña Justa Village I, Brgy. San Roque, Angono
Angono Petroglyphs
If you want to see the oldest recorded work of art in the country that was probably carved during the late stone-age, go to Angono and visit the Angono Petroglyphs (wiki).
The rock formation has 127 carved human and animal figures.
There are figures of frogs and lizards as well as fascinating things that are now hard to name because erosion in earlier times might have caused it to somewhat fade.
There are also broken pieces of earthenware, two pieces of chert, a stone core tool, a shiny adze, a flake stone tools, and two pieces of obsidian flakes found in the excavated area; the digging took place from October to November in 1965 and it was headed by Alfredo Evangelista, a Filipino archaeologist.
To this day, people visit this place to witness an art from ancient times and the preservation of the place is being managed by the National Museum of the Philippines, the Department of Tourism, World Monuments Fund, American Express, and a Philippine real estate company.
Searching for the best hotels, resorts, and affordable flights in the nearby Cities? Check out our list of affordable Angono hotels and resorts via Agoda, or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
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